Honest John Vans Van News New vans

Vauxhall begins trial of hydrogen Vivaro

Craig Cheetham, contributor
Wed, 02 Oct 2024

The first examples of the Vauxhall Vivaro Hydrogen have arrived in the UK for fleet testing ahead of the van going on general sale next year.

The models is already sold in left-hand-drive markets by Opel and is the first commercially available production hydrogen van, with the larger Vauxhall Movano Hydrogen set to follow later in 2025.

Ahead of the Vauxhall Vivaro Hydrogen’s general launch, it will be evaluated by a range of companies, including some of the UK’s biggest fleets.

Based on the existing Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, the hydrogen-fuelled version features a 45kW fuel cell and 10.5kWh lithium-ion battery located under the front seats, delivering a WLTP driving range of 249 miles. It has 5kg hydrogen fuel tanks located under the floor, which can be refilled in five minutes, or around the same time as is needed to refuel a diesel van.

The lithium-ion battery accompanying the fuel cell works when required, such as at start-up and under hard acceleration, as well as to produce regenerative braking. It can also be recharged externally if needed to give 31 miles of battery electric range.

In terms of cargo volume, the hydrogen model matches the standard Vauxhall Vivaro, with 6.1 cubic metres of loadspace and a 1,000kg payload.

Next year will see Vauxhall introduce a Movano Hydrogen, with a range of up to 311 miles.

Vauxhall has partnered with UK company Ryze Hydrogen to develop a hydrogen charging infrastructure for fleet operators. Ryze is also working on various civil infrastructure projects to make hydrogen fuels more widely available in the UK.

Ask HJ

What do the three digits in a van name mean?

I am looking at buying a panel. Some adverts have the wording "Professional 335" or another 3 digit number. What does it mean?
The van you refer to is a Peugeot Boxer Professional 335, and this is simply the model and trim level of the van. In the case of the Peugeot, 'Professional' is the basic trim level and the number relates to what's known as the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), the '35' part suggesting it is a 3.5t van. Unless you have a need to carry particularly heavy loads then you don't need to worry too much about this, but if you've not had much experience of previous van ownership we'd advise you to look into the weight classes of different types of van to make sure they're not for the purpose you need, and to familiarise yourself with van speed limits, which are different to those of cars.
Answered by Craig Cheetham
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